


Helpless

by defeatedbyabridge



Category: Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-11
Updated: 2012-11-11
Packaged: 2017-11-18 10:28:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/560017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/defeatedbyabridge/pseuds/defeatedbyabridge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kuroki Takeshi realises just how much has been lost.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Helpless

**Author's Note:**

  * For [borrowedphrases](https://archiveofourown.org/users/borrowedphrases/gifts).



The only thing that got Kuroki Takeshi through a godawful Christmas dinner with his neesan and her family was the thought of Jin waiting for him at home. It was the only way to deal with the helplessness that resulted from a) forced socialisation and b) people who didn't respect him due to his rank at all. 

...well, to be fair, Jin probably wouldn't be waiting. He'd probably stroll in around twenty-three thirty, a few bottles of something expensive under his arm. Looking charmingly dishevelled, annoyingly unflapped by the lateness of the hour and whatever he'd been up to before that. (Which was up to him, of course. They didn't have that kind of relationship. Which wasn't to say Kuroki'd never considered taking things a little further... not trying to tie him down to monogamy, especially since hell if he knew if he was monogamous himself. But asking if they could- no. No. Too early, too weird, too... too _no._ )

He'd given Jin a key a few weeks earlier. It was just easier. Jin had a habit of turning up unexpectedly, and if he had a damn key then at least he was more likely to pop up unexpectedly coming through the front door than tapping on Kuroki's -- 2nd floor -- bedroom window at oh three hundred. That had been a bad night. 

He did love his family, Kuroki thought conscientiously as he kissed his neesan, and leaned down to tousle the heads of the two moppets clinging to his legs. 

But they were _noisy._

It was with a comparatively light heart that he got back into his car, after accepting the three metric tons of presents they wanted him to drop off at their parents' two days later. It was all over now. He'd missed the party at the Transport Research Center, as had Jin. He was going to see Jin, and everything would be fine.

He was passing the main shopping mall, still lit brightly at this time of night, when he got the phonecall.

Sakurada-san, who sounded utterly intent and utterly terrified. 

Kuroki felt his breath stutter in his chest. There was a virus at the Center. No, no, no, not today, not at all, they'd taken so many safeguards... Then Sakurada-san's words got stuck in his head. "Eh? What do you mean, you're going to transport the Center?" 

"There's no time! If their virus spreads out across the network, the whole world will be infected. Before that happens, we'll transport the entire building into hyperspace. We have enough Enetron for the job." 

Kuroki savagely fought down his reaction. They had protocols for disasters. And this definitely qualified. His boss had gone crazy and the entire country -- world, even -- was at risk from this virus. They had people to save, and Sakurada-san was forgetting about that. "You should evacuate first-" 

Sakurada-san cut him off. "This is a temporary solution." Kuroki stared into traffic for a moment, listening, then swore under his breath. His tyres squealed as he pulled across two lanes into the gutter. There weren't many cars around, at least. Didn't matter if he was talking on a headset. He might not get arrested, but he could still kill someone by swerving into them. With everything Sakurada-san was saying, it was all too tempting to lose control. 

But he wouldn't. He might not be able to do anything, but he wouldn't damn well lose control. All he could do for Sakurada-san right now was take his instructions. "Right."

"This thing will find its way back. Listen to me! I'm going to provide you with the means to fight back. With their help, shut this menace down. I'm counting on you, Kuroki!" 

What the hell did that mean?! Help?

"Boss! Boss!" 

The connection was gone.

Kuroki slammed a fist into the steering wheel, then sent Jin a quick text. 

_EMERGENCY AT THE CENTER. HEADING THERE NOW._

He forced himself to look over his shoulder, and indicate, before pulling out into traffic. Then he drove as fast as he could towards the Center.

He was nowhere near close enough when he saw it all shimmer green and vanish out of the world. 

Jin hadn't contacted him yet. 

* * *

'Help' was three traumatised as hell children and their functionally insane Buddyroids. At least the Buddyroids seemed to know enough to protect the kids. 

Protocols. He wasn't helpless. He had the protocols to fall back on. 

Kuroki got them safely to the Energy Management Center, and got them to bed, kind of, with their Buddyroids. He had a room there, as his time had been split, just like Sakurada-san's. No more. This was home. 

Not just to him. 

Fifteen, seven, and three. 

Kuroki drove a fist into the wall next to the mirror in his bathroom. "There'd better be someone with a psychology degree showing up for work in the morning." 

Jin hadn't contacted him yet. 

* * *

He didn't get any sleep. 

(Jin hadn't contacted him yet.)

Staff began to trickle in, collecting in the big meeting room on level 1, overlooking the atrium. Following the protocols. Kuroki left a skeleton staff on the main systems. The youngest, not that they were that much younger than he was. The responsibility'd be good for them, and he was only a comm signal away. 

Not quite the youngest. He hadn't gone to see the children again yet, but it was only oh eight hundred. He was hopeful they might still be sleeping.

He sat at the head of the table, going through his notes, as he waited for everyone to arrive. This was beyond awful, but he knew what he had to do. He knew how to present it to everyone. He knew how to take over, for all that he'd never wanted command. Tough. It was his, now. They'd move forward, they'd find a way to rescue those lost in hyperspace, they'd prepare for this threat. 

...it was eight oh eight. 

He'd prepared for about thirty. He'd hoped for fifty.

There were all of fifteen people sitting around the giant, oak table, which dwarfed them. Fifteen plus the three on duty. The rest must've been at that thrice-damned party. 

Eighteen staff. 

Apart from Kazushiro, the head doctor, none of them were over twenty-two, none of them looked anything other than helpless. 

_Jin_

Kuroki took a long sip of his water, fighting for composure.

_wasn't_

He'd work with what he had; he wasn't helpless.

_coming_

"Thank you all for being here," he began briskly, pulling up the mantle of experienced base commander around himself. Couldn't let it drop, ever, for anyone. "I'm sure you have many questions. Save them until the end. I'll tell you what I know and what we're going to do."


End file.
